National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week

Dispatcher Appreciation Week began right here in California, at the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office in 1981. It recognizes the invaluable, and often unseen, work of 9-1-1 Dispatchers nationwide. All of us speak the same language and have a common pool of experiences to draw from. How many of us have comforted a person just involved in an accident? How many of us have felt that feeling in the pit of our stomach when an officer or firefighter won’t answer up on the radio or we can hear a struggle in the background? How many of us have memories of calls that still haunt us years later? On a lighter note, how many of us have stashes of supplies hidden in dispatch? Plasticware, Ibuprofen, a spare headset, duct tape? How many of us can have a full profile of someone from the Internet in 5 minutes or less? How many of us have 3-5 drinks on our consoles at any given time? How many of us have had verbal fights with someone else about the dispatch refrigerator? (I’m sorry your ketchup that was expired for two years got thrown away Brenda. I’m sorry I was concerned about your health and the greater health of the organization.) How many of us keep our local coffee shops open with our frequent visits?

Dispatchers are a unique breed. We are fiercely independent and mission-focused, but we make a heck of a team. We show up, rain or shine, fires, natural disasters, shootings, you name it. We go from call to call, switching up our style and questioning like a person with multiple personalities. Our chosen profession is truly something to behold. More than one dispatcher has left the profession, only to come back realizing the impact that we have on people’s lives each and every day.

Dispatchers of California (and the world!), we salute you. Your CALNENA board is working hard to get you the recognition that you deserve as first responders. We know that many dispatcher banquets and functions have been postponed across the state due to the Covid-19 outbreak, but know that you have our appreciation and admiration every day of the year that you arrive at work, plug in, put the headset on, and confidently answer, “9-1-1, what is the address of the emergency?” You are true heroes.